The Young Step-Mother eBook

‘In Africa!’ said Albinia, well-nigh asleep,
but Genevieve’s laugh roused her again, partly
because she thought it less mannerly than accorded
with the girl’s usual politeness. No mere
sleep was allowed her; an astronomical passion seemed
to have possessed the young lady, and she dashed into
the tides, and the causes of the harvest-moon, and
volcanoes, and thunderbolts, and Lord Rosse’s
telescope, forcing her tired friend to reply by direct
appeals, till Albinia almost wished her in the moon
herself; and was rejoiced when in the dim greyness
of the early summer dawn, the carriage drew up at Madame
Belmarche’s house. As the light from the
weary maid’s candle flashed on Genevieve’s
face, it revealed such a glow of deep crimson on each
brown cheek, that Albinia perceived that the excitement
must have been almost fever, and went to bed speculating
on the strange effects of a touch of gaiety on the
hereditary French nature, startling her at once from
her graceful propriety and humility of demeanour, into
such extraordinary obtrusive talkativeness.

She heard more the next morning that vexed her.
Lucy was seriously of opinion that Genevieve had
not been sufficiently retiring. She herself
had heedfully kept under the wing of Mary’s governess,
mamma, or Miss Ferrars, and nobody had paid her any
particular attention; but Genevieve had been with
Gilbert half the day, had had all the gentlemen round
her at the archery and in the games, had no end of
partners in the dances, and had walked about in the
dark with Captain Ferrars. Lucy was sure she
was taken for her sister, and whenever she had told
people the truth, they had said how pretty she was.

‘You are jealous, Lucy,’ Sophy said.

Lucy protested that it was quite the reverse.
She was glad poor little Jenny should meet with any
notice, there was no cause for jealousy of her,
and she threw back her head in conscious beauty; ’only
she was sorry for Jenny, for they were quite turning
her head, and laughing at her all the time.’

Albinia’s candour burst out as usual, ’Say
no more about it, my dear; it was a mistake from beginning
to end. I was too much taken up with my own
diversion to attend to you, and now you are punishing
me for it. I left you to take care of yourselves,
and exposed poor little Genevieve to unkind remarks.’

‘I don’t know what I said,’ began
Lucy. ’I don’t mean to blame her;
it was just as she always is with Gilbert, so very
French.’

That word settled it—­Lucy pronounced it
with ineffable pity and contempt—­she was
far less able to forgive another for being attractive,
than for trying to attract.

Sophy looked excessively hurt and grieved, and in
private asked her step-mother what she thought of
Genevieve’s behaviour.

’My dear, I cannot tell; I think she was off
her guard with excitement; but all was very new to
her, and there was every excuse. I was too happy
to be wise, so no wonder she was.’